Sunday, March 30, 2008

Where Were You Born?

When most people are asked that question they answer, not with the hospital's name in which they were delivered, but the name of the city and/or state in which they were born. That is because most people are, at least nowadays, born in a hospital, and it is much more interesting to name your home state rather than the hospital.

But what if you were not born in a hospital?

My dear friend and former pastor, Darrell Sparks, was blessed this morning when his eldest daughter gave birth to his third grandchild and second grandson. The boy was born early this morning; around five o'clock, and he was born in Indiana. God bless him!

He wasn't born in an Indiana hospital; however, he was birthed in an Indiana driveway.

Before dawn Chris Young (Darrell's son-in-law and the music minister/youth pastor/computer geek of Dearborn Baptist Church, where Darrell is pastor) dropped off his two children at the grandparents' house as he was on his way to the hospital with his wife who was great with child and ready to deliver.

Boy was she ready!

While handing off the kids, Sarah Young let loose a primal yell from the car. Chris dashed off to his wife, and then dashed back to the front door with the news that the baby's head was crowning. In stepped Carla Sparks. Darrell's wife, who would on this day deliver her third grandchild in the back of a Crown Vic which was sitting in her driveway. By the time the ambulance had arrived at their Lawrenceburg home, Carla had delivered the baby, tied off the cord, and delivered the after-birth!

This is truly an amazing story, and praise God that baby and mother are fine. Praise God the grandma was on top of the situation! This is all second-hand news by way of Carla to my wife to me. I haven't had the opportunity to talk with Darrell yet today. But I am dying to know what he was doing while his wife was delivering their grandchild.

I was able to talk to Sarah's sister Larah, and from her I learned that the boy who was born in his grandparents' driveway was named Ethan. Welcome to world, Ethan! Congratulations Chris and Sarah! And way to go Carla!!

1 comment:

Darrell
said...

We have erected a bronze plague on the drive-way that reads "Birthplace of Ethan Wayne Young." I hope to soon begin selling admission tickets for visitors who want to see it. I have also suggested that we have re-enactments for all to see firsthand.

Actually, I was away preaching and missed the whole thing. The whole time Sarah was delivering in the car in my driveway, she was not saying, "I wish I were at the hospital" or "I can't believe this is happening" but "I'm so glad Dad isn't here!"

Can you believe it! I leave for two nights and everything falls apart!

Sarah went home from the hospital today (just 1 day!). She and the baby are fine. I think he will become a preacher.

Carla is still on an emotional high from the whole episode. I asked her is she was freaking out while it was happening and she said, "Actually, she found it very exhilarating and was loving every minute of it." She told me that delivering a baby was something she had always secretly wanted to do (although not necessarily her grandson). I asked her is she had any other secret desires....

I heard that the local Amish community is looking for a midwife. I am hoping this will begin bringing in a little extra income. They will even come to the house and take her to the delivering mother in a horse drawn carriage.

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I am married to Dianna, and we have three boys. Both of us were raised in SE Indiana. While I did my stint in the military we lived in Northern Virginia. Now home is Garland, TX where we minister in the Rodgers Baptist Church.

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